Black walnut tree named ‘Beineke 3’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of black walnut tree (Juglans nigra L.) which is distinctly characterized by extremely rapid growth rate, very strong central stem tendency, and excellent straightness, thereby producing excellent timber qualities. This new variety of black walnut tree (Juglans nigra L.) was discovered by the applicant near West Lafayette, Ind. in a black walnut planting of seedling progeny from a previously selected tree for outstanding timber producing potential. This selection has been designated as BW426, a seedling progeny of selection number BW95 in records maintained by the applicant on the performance of the selection and grafts made from the selection and will be known henceforth as &#39;Beineke 3&#39;.

Latin name of the genus and species: Juglans nigra L.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of black walnut tree (Juglans nigra L.) was discoveredby the applicant near West Lafayette, Ind. in a black walnut planting ofseedling progeny from previously selected trees for outstanding timberproducing potential (Beineke, 1989). This selection has been designatedas BW426, a seedling progeny of selection number BW95 (unpatented) inrecords maintained by the applicant on the performance of the selectionand grafts made from the selection and will be known henceforth as‘Beineke 3’. The male parent is unknown, as is generally the case withblack walnut trees (Beineke, 1989).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A new and distinct cultivar of black walnut tree (Juglans nigra L.) isdistinctly characterized by extremely rapid growth rate, very strongcentral stem tendency, and excellent straightness, thereby producingexcellent timber qualities. Beineke 3 was 17 years old when described ata location near West Lafayette, Ind.

After the original clone was selected, and assigned an identity numberof BW426 the aforesaid tree was reproduced by collecting scions from itand grafting these onto common black walnut rootstocks at AmericanForestry Technology Company, West Point, Ind. These asexualreproductions ran true to the originally discovered tree and to eachother in all respects.

Color values used were from the Munsell Color Chart for Plant Tissues.However, color is too dependent on weather conditions and fertilizationto be consistent or distinctive. For example, leaves can be made adeeper green by applying nitrogen. Walnut tree leaves turn yellow as theseason progresses, especially if there is a lack of rainfall. As blackwalnut meats dry, they become darker. Simply being on the ground for aweek causes the outer shell to darken. Bark color involves many shadesof gray through brown and black.

Beineke 3 is hardy in USDA zones 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a photograph showing the timber form of ‘Beineke 3.’

FIG. 2 is a photograph showing the leaves of ‘Beineke 3.’

FIG. 3 is a photograph showing the nuts of ‘Beineke 3.’

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The botanical details of this new and distinct variety of walnut treeare as follows:

Tree:

Size.—Large, 54 ft.; at 17 years old crown diameter of 15 ft.

Vigor.—Vigorous.

Growth rate.—Very rapid, faster than Purdue 1 (U.S. Plant Pat. No.4,543) and Tippecanoe 1 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,954) — 36% and 8% largerin diameter than the average of Purdue 1 and Tippecanoe 1 graftsrespectively, planted the same year on the same land. Diameter growthrate (at 4½ feet above the ground) averages 0.588 inches per year, over17 years about 10 inches.

Form.—Excellent timber form, stem better than Purdue 1 (U.S. Plant Pat.No. 4,543) and Tippecanoe 1 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,954) — 36% straighterthan average of the entire planting. On a rating scale of 1 (excellent)to 5 (very poor), Beineke 3 averages 1 no crooks, very strong centralstem tendency. Stem form was obtained by subjectively rating thestraightness of the main stem on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 representing aperfectly straight stem; 2, slight crook or deviation of the centralstem; 3, about average straightness; 4, several severe crooks or asingle fork; and 5, a very crooked, forked and/or leaning central stem.The original tree was cut and no parental trees were planted on the samesite. However, Beineke 3 was straighter than BW95.

The trees of the present invention are grown in plantations, not openfields (not natural stands). In plantations, trees are upright and haveno distinctive or characteristic crown shape because all branches areseeking to grow upwards.

Branches: Diameter depends on age and size of tree, varies from ½″ to12″, bark color varies from grays to browns.

Leaves:

Compound leaves.—Size — Much shorter than average; average length — 13.7inches.

Leaflets.—Size — Average; average length — 3.9 inches; Width about 3.0inches; average number of leaflets — 16.9 — lanceolate; acutely pointed.Thickness — thin; Texture — smooth; Margin — serrated; Color — Topside —dark green; (2.5G4/4 by the Munsell Color Chart for Plant Tissues).Underside — light green (5GY5/4 on the Munsell Color Chart for PlantTissues).

Anthracnose resistance.—Excellent.

Petioles.—short.

Flowering habit:

Age at which trees start producing catkins.—Early, it takes about 4-5years to flower.

Number of catkins produced.—Abundant.

Size of catkins.—Very long.

Time of pollen shed.—Early.

Age at which tree starts producing pistillate flowers.—Early.

Number of pistillate flowers produced by young trees.—Abundant.

Number of pistillate flowers produced by mature trees.—Abundant.

Lateral shoots producing pistillate flowers.—None.

Number of pistillate flowers per inflorescence.—2 and 3.

Flowering season.—Generally May in Indiana.

Flower season: Flowers typically in May in Indiana. There are probably1-million pollen per catkin. Female flowers are about {fraction (1/16)}″long and grow to two “pollen pick up points” which subsequently breakapart. Pollen exits as “dust” which is not feasible to quantitate.

Nut crop:

Bearing.—Biennial, early October but only every other year.

Productivity.—Heavy.

Ripening period.—Late.

Evenness of maturity (period between first and last nuts are ready forharvest).—Even.

Quality.—Good.

Distribution of nuts on tree.—Throughout.

Color.—Mottled, 5YR and 2.5YR3/4 by the Munsell Color Chart for PlantTissue.

Nut:

Size.—Small; average length — 1.3″; average diameter in suture plane —1.0″; average diameter cheek to cheek — 1.3″.

Uniformity of size.—Not much variation.

Form.—Round; Somewhat flattened in suture plane. See FIG. 3.

Blossom end.—Flattened.

Basal end.—Rounded to obtusely pointed.

Thickness of shell.—Very thick.

Ridges.—Sharp ridges.

GENETIC METHOD OF IDENTIFICATION

DNA “fingerprint” for identification of ‘Beinke 3’.

DNA was isolated from the leaves of ‘Beineke 3.’ For purposes of DNAfingerprinting, nine highly polymorphic loci from a suite ofmicrosatellites developed by Woeste et al. (2002) were chosen.Microsatellites sizes were checked against previously publishedstandards and verified by a second independent analysis. The“fingerprint” is the collection of microsatellite allele sizes at eachlocus for ‘Beineke 3.’

DNA was isolated from the leaves of 10 black walnut trees obtained fromWalter Beineke using CTAB extraction buffer (50 mM TRIS-HCL, pH 8.0, 20mM EDTA, pH 8.0, 0.7 M NaCl, 0.4 M LiCl, 2% SDS, 2% TAB, nd 1% PVP).After isolation the DNA from each tree was quantified and diluted withnanopure distilled water to a final concentration of 5 ng/μL. Thesamples were stored in 96-well plates at 20° C.

For purposes of DNA fingerprinting, nine highly polymorphic loci from asuite of microsatellites developed by Woeste et al. (2002) were chosen.Amplification of each locus was performed with an MJ Research TetradThermocycler (Waltham, Mass.) using 10 μL reactions in 96-well plates.The PCR reaction mix contained 2 μL of the aforementioned black walnutDNA, 5 μL Sigma Taq ReadyMix (Sigma Aldrich, St. Louis, Mo.), 0.4 μL ofa 20 pmol mixture of forward and reverse fluorescence labeled primer,and 3 μL PCR grade water supplied with the Sigma ReadyMix. PCRamplification was for 30 cycles of 94° C. for 20 sec, 55° C. for 30 sec,and 72° C. for 1 min. All primers were annealed at 55° C. The productswere then held at 4° C. until aliquots could be loaded into 6% LongRanger (polyacrylamide) denaturing gels (BMA, Rockland, Me.). For eachindividual 0.5 μL PCR product was added to 0.75 μL blue dextran and 0.25μL of CXR 350 bp Ladder Standard (Promega, Fitchburg Center, Wis.) in anew 96-well 1 late. The samples were denatured for 2 min at 95° C. andloaded onto a CAL96 96-well laminated membrane comb (The Gel Company,San Francisco, Calif.). Electrophoresis was at 3,000 V, 60 mA, 200Watts, 50° C. for 2 hours using an ABI 377 (Perkin Elmer) with 36 cmplates and 0.2 mm spacers. The resulting data was analyzed using ABI'sGeneScan 3.1.2 and Genotyper 2.5 (Perkin Elmer). Microsatellite sizeswere checked against previously published standards and verified by asecond independent analysis. The “fingerprint” is the collection ofmicrosatellite allele sizes at each locus for each tree.

Locus Forward Reverse WGA2 GACGACGAAGGTGTACGGAT GTACGGCTCTCCTTGCAGTC(SEQ ID NO: 1) (SEQ ID NO: 10) WGA6 CCATGAAACTTCATGCGTTGCATCCCAAGCGAAGGTTG (SEQ ID NO: 2) (SEQ ID NO: 11) WGA24TCCCCCTGAAATCTTCTCCT TTCTCGTGGTGCTTGTTGAG (SEQ ID NO: 3) (SEQ ID NO: 12)WGA32 CTCGGTAAGCCACACCAATT ACGGGCAGTGTATGCATGTA (SEQ ID NO: 4) (SEQ IDNO: 13) WG33 TGGTCTGCGAAGACACTGTC GGTTCGTCGTTTGTTGACCT (SEQ ID NO: 5)(SEQ ID NO: 14) WGA86 ATGCCTCATCTCCATTCTGG TGAGTGGCAATCACAAGGAA (SEQ IDNO: 6) (SEQ ID NO: 15) WGA89 ACCCATCTTTCACGTGTGTG TGCCTAATTAGCAATTTCCA(SEQ ID NO: 7) (SEQ ID NO: 16) WGA90 CTTGTAATCGCCCTCTGCTCTACCTGCAACCCGTTACACA (SEQ ID NO: 8) (SEQ ID NO: 17) WGA97GGAGAGGAAAGGAATCCAAA TTGAACAAAAGGCCGTTTTC (SEQ ID NO: 9) (SEQ ID NO: 18)

The best interpretation of the current data indicates that theprobability that any other black walnut tree would have the collectionof microsatellite allele sizes listed is less that 1 in 10⁻¹⁷.

Sizes (bp) of microsatelites at 9 loci used to fingerprint ‘Beineke 3’(2 alleles at each locus)

WGA2 WGA6 WGA24 WGA32 WGA90 150 150 142 158 230 236 189 191 140 154WGA86 WGA97 WGA33 WGA89 226 238 157 161 220 220 191 197

DOCUMENTS CITED

Beineke, Walter F. (1989) Twenty years of black walnut geneticimprovement at Purdue University North. J. Appl. For. 6:68-71.

Woeste, K., Burns, R., Rhodes, O., and Michler, C. (2002) (In Press)Thirty polymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci from black walnut.Journal of Heredity.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of black walnut tree named‘Beineke 3’ substantially as illustrated and described, which hasexcellent timber quality, is fast growing, has strong central stemtendency, no sweep, and no crooks.